Chap. 9
The marble-floored ballroom glittered with exotic colors and jewels as the duke made his way down the elaborate marble staircase. As he did so, the eyes of all single women present gazed at him in adoration while hints of avarice flickered in the depths of their beguiling eyes. Their ring-clad fingers lifted their wine glasses to their blood-red lips, and under the pretense of smelling delicately arranged roses, their attention lingered on the breathtakingly handsome, dark-haired man who was ignoring them completely. Eriol scanned the numerous faces in the crowd, seeking only those lilac eyes and those eyes alone; he brushed aside the hands that sought to catch his attention.
He looked around with calm composure for the one woman whose features he had seen so many times in his mind and his dreams. She had to be here; he was sure of it. She was somewhere around this room, hiding from him, seeking to go unnoticed, but he would find her. He loved her absolutely, no strings attached. Oh God, he loved her to such an extent that it frightened him. His gaze relentlessly searched the room.and locked with nervous amethyst eyes, holding them captive as he made his way toward her. I found you, my love, he thought. You can't escape me now. I won't let you.
Tomoyo was unable to tear her eyes from his intense gaze; it pinned her to the floor and refused to let her go. As his form came closer, she could smell his scent, could almost feel his touch, and she yearned for and dreaded another encounter at the same time. She clutched the folds of her gown, her hands slick with sweat, unable to take the suspense. "Lord Clarence, I know that this is an awkward request, but could you possibly ask me to dance at this moment?" she asked a man at her right. "I would.appreciate it very much."
"Why certainly, Lady Tomoyo, if you wish-"
"I believe this dance is promised to me, if you please, Clarence," interrupted a smooth voice, and without another comment, Tomoyo found herself swept away in the duke's embrace onto the ballroom floor. Despite her silent protests, his arms tightened around her waist as he drew her closer than what was viewed as proper.
"Stop it," she hissed under her breath. "Please, your grace, you're making a scene." She fought against his bruising hold futilely as he looked down at her in amusement.
"That's exactly what I want to do," he said wickedly. "I want to show them, once and for all, that you're mine and mine only. Now, I've already thought about all of this for days, and since resisting would be in vain, it would go smoother for you if you would just stop squirming."
"Your grace, we've only just met and-"
"Don't you think it's a little strange to be calling me that? As much as I can see, we shared more than just a trite greeting in that secluded garden."he trailed off, seeing her cheeks turn rosy as she blushed scarlet. "And right now, there's nothing I want to do more than to kiss you again, and feel your lips under mine."
"Don't say such things!" she pleaded. "It was all a mistake.a foolish mistake, nothing more. Even now, I can't believe that I was so shameless to do such a thing. I-"
"Hush," he commanded quietly in an implacable tone. "It wasn't anything to be shameful of. Do you understand?" he asked, gently trying to teach her to take pride in what happened. "It was a beautiful sharing between us," he stated, "and I don't want to hear you refer to it as a mistake ever again." "You and I both know that we wanted each other then, as we do now," he reminded her, his breath warm against her ear. "Can you deny it?"
"I-"
He silenced her by putting his finger against her lips. "I think I'm falling in love with you, lady, and I don't even know your name yet," he said seriously. "I think I've started loving you since the moment I met you, even if I didn't know-no, didn't want to know. I love you absolutely, and I'll take you on any terms; everything else doesn't matter except you." Eriol watched as tears filled her eyes.
"I can't. I can't love you," she said tremulously. Feelings warred within her. Could she dare to love again? Could she trust anyone? She had gone through so much hurt, hatred, and hardships. Could she risk heartbreak once again by loving him? Could she afford to give him a chance? But even as she contemplated what she would do, she already had the answer; she had already begun loving him ever since that time when he offered her warmth and comfort. He was the only one in her life other than her mother who had done that, and she was convinced as she looked in his eyes that he truly cared.
"Love, I know you love me. I see it in your eyes even now as you look up at me. I felt it when you kissed me. Don't deny what is meant to be," he said, looking down at her with a gentleness she had never known before. "Tell me the truth. Do you love me?"
"Yes."
***************
Hm. This was okay, I guess? Anway, I've put up other fics of mine on ff.net; check under my profile. Please, I'd really appreciate it if you could read my other fics too.
The marble-floored ballroom glittered with exotic colors and jewels as the duke made his way down the elaborate marble staircase. As he did so, the eyes of all single women present gazed at him in adoration while hints of avarice flickered in the depths of their beguiling eyes. Their ring-clad fingers lifted their wine glasses to their blood-red lips, and under the pretense of smelling delicately arranged roses, their attention lingered on the breathtakingly handsome, dark-haired man who was ignoring them completely. Eriol scanned the numerous faces in the crowd, seeking only those lilac eyes and those eyes alone; he brushed aside the hands that sought to catch his attention.
He looked around with calm composure for the one woman whose features he had seen so many times in his mind and his dreams. She had to be here; he was sure of it. She was somewhere around this room, hiding from him, seeking to go unnoticed, but he would find her. He loved her absolutely, no strings attached. Oh God, he loved her to such an extent that it frightened him. His gaze relentlessly searched the room.and locked with nervous amethyst eyes, holding them captive as he made his way toward her. I found you, my love, he thought. You can't escape me now. I won't let you.
Tomoyo was unable to tear her eyes from his intense gaze; it pinned her to the floor and refused to let her go. As his form came closer, she could smell his scent, could almost feel his touch, and she yearned for and dreaded another encounter at the same time. She clutched the folds of her gown, her hands slick with sweat, unable to take the suspense. "Lord Clarence, I know that this is an awkward request, but could you possibly ask me to dance at this moment?" she asked a man at her right. "I would.appreciate it very much."
"Why certainly, Lady Tomoyo, if you wish-"
"I believe this dance is promised to me, if you please, Clarence," interrupted a smooth voice, and without another comment, Tomoyo found herself swept away in the duke's embrace onto the ballroom floor. Despite her silent protests, his arms tightened around her waist as he drew her closer than what was viewed as proper.
"Stop it," she hissed under her breath. "Please, your grace, you're making a scene." She fought against his bruising hold futilely as he looked down at her in amusement.
"That's exactly what I want to do," he said wickedly. "I want to show them, once and for all, that you're mine and mine only. Now, I've already thought about all of this for days, and since resisting would be in vain, it would go smoother for you if you would just stop squirming."
"Your grace, we've only just met and-"
"Don't you think it's a little strange to be calling me that? As much as I can see, we shared more than just a trite greeting in that secluded garden."he trailed off, seeing her cheeks turn rosy as she blushed scarlet. "And right now, there's nothing I want to do more than to kiss you again, and feel your lips under mine."
"Don't say such things!" she pleaded. "It was all a mistake.a foolish mistake, nothing more. Even now, I can't believe that I was so shameless to do such a thing. I-"
"Hush," he commanded quietly in an implacable tone. "It wasn't anything to be shameful of. Do you understand?" he asked, gently trying to teach her to take pride in what happened. "It was a beautiful sharing between us," he stated, "and I don't want to hear you refer to it as a mistake ever again." "You and I both know that we wanted each other then, as we do now," he reminded her, his breath warm against her ear. "Can you deny it?"
"I-"
He silenced her by putting his finger against her lips. "I think I'm falling in love with you, lady, and I don't even know your name yet," he said seriously. "I think I've started loving you since the moment I met you, even if I didn't know-no, didn't want to know. I love you absolutely, and I'll take you on any terms; everything else doesn't matter except you." Eriol watched as tears filled her eyes.
"I can't. I can't love you," she said tremulously. Feelings warred within her. Could she dare to love again? Could she trust anyone? She had gone through so much hurt, hatred, and hardships. Could she risk heartbreak once again by loving him? Could she afford to give him a chance? But even as she contemplated what she would do, she already had the answer; she had already begun loving him ever since that time when he offered her warmth and comfort. He was the only one in her life other than her mother who had done that, and she was convinced as she looked in his eyes that he truly cared.
"Love, I know you love me. I see it in your eyes even now as you look up at me. I felt it when you kissed me. Don't deny what is meant to be," he said, looking down at her with a gentleness she had never known before. "Tell me the truth. Do you love me?"
"Yes."
***************
Hm. This was okay, I guess? Anway, I've put up other fics of mine on ff.net; check under my profile. Please, I'd really appreciate it if you could read my other fics too.